Report on the Human Resource Executive Forum Hosted by Aoba-BBT: Exploring Human Capital Management

Aoba-BBT Co., Ltd., located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo and led by President Iwao Shibata, successfully hosted the second iteration of the "Human Resource Executive Forum" in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, from September 12 to 13, 2025. Following last year’s forum, this year’s event aimed at discussing how to effectively link management strategies with human capital management.

The forum gathered leading Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) from prominent companies across Japan, providing a platform for deep discussions on specific case studies and pressing issues faced by today’s organizations. Attendees engaged in candid and practical discussions about urgent HR challenges, and how to effectively connect management and HR strategies.

Event Overview

- Event Name: Human Resource Executive Forum
- Date: September 12-13, 2025
- Location: ATAMI Sekai-e (Official Website)
- Hosted by: Aoba-BBT Co., Ltd.

Participating Companies and Speakers (in alphabetical order)

- Mr. Hidetoshi Sakamoto, Executive Officer, CHRO, CCO, NTT Corporation
- Mr. Eiji Hibino, Senior Executive Officer, Sinanen Holdings
- Mr. Narunobu Oowada, Senior Executive Officer, CCO, T-Gaia Corporation
- Ms. Junko Iwashita, Senior Executive Officer, Pasona Group
- Mr. Nobuhiro Shin'ya, Executive Officer, Senior Vice President, CHRO, Panasonic Connect
- Ms. Chiyo Sugimoto, Director, Human Resources Strategy Office, Panasonic Connect

Main Discussion Themes

This year’s forum emphasized the linking of management strategy with human capital management, continuing from the previous year. A wide range of insights was shared, focusing on key areas:

- Fostering Future Leaders: Discussion revolved around nurturing the next generation of executives while fostering each employee’s career autonomy and supporting the advancement of women in the workplace.
- Building a Culture of Diversity: The panel highlighted the importance of creating an organizational culture that respects and leverages diverse perspectives to foster innovation and stimulate global competitiveness.
- The Importance of Continuous Dialogue Between CEOs and CHROs: With the advent of the AI era, the necessity for seamless organization and talent alignment with business strategies was stressed. Continuous communication between the CEO and CHRO was presented as crucial for driving both corporate and HR strategies in a unified manner.

Active dialogues during the Q&A sessions allowed participation from various companies, leading to rich exchanges of practical insights. Notably, three main takeaways emerged from the presentations and discussions:

- Unlocking Employee Potential: Upgrading skills is only one aspect; creating an environment where employees can autonomously challenge themselves and broaden their horizons is critical to optimizing human capital.
- Integrating Strategies: As the emphasis on interconnected business and HR strategies grows, the reallocation of resources—human, material, financial, and technological—toward achieving mid- to long-term objectives became a focal point of discussion.
- Cultural Fusion Through Diversity: To accelerate growth in international markets, the importance of integrating diverse backgrounds, including nationality, gender, and generational differences, was underscored, ensuring organizations can derive innovative solutions.

Future Outlook

Detailed outcomes from the discussions at the forum will be compiled into a white paper, set to be published on our company website. This document will include specific case studies, identified challenges, proposed solutions, and details on leading initiatives shared among participating companies, offering a multi-faceted perspective on the practice of human capital management.

Aoba-BBT is committed to transforming this forum from a one-time event into an iterative effort, continually fostering HR professional engagement by sharing best practices and addressing common challenges in human capital management and development. Regular forums will be held in the future to encourage networking among companies and inspire innovative ideas—contributing to the enhancement of Japan's competitive edge.

About Aoba-BBT

Founded in April 1998, Aoba-BBT is driven by the mission of cultivating leaders who can excel globally. We offer a broad range of educational programs (Life-Time Empowerment) catering to students from early childhood to executive level, including international schools, corporate training, online universities/graduate universities (MBA), and more. Leveraging innovative educational technologies, we create customized learning environments that empower students and professionals for sustainable growth. Aoba-BBT continuously evolves as a leading company in the educational sector, contributing to the future of education.

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